12. Los Angeles Clippers
Key additions: Marcin Gortat (trade), Mike Scott (FA), Luc Mbah a Moute (FA)
Key losses: Deandre Jordan (trade), Austin Rivers (trade)
IF WE GO BACK IN TIME to December of 2011, which admittedly doesn’t feel like it was seven years ago, Clipper Nation was in much higher spirits. The Clippers had just acquired star point guard Chris Paul from the then-New Orleans Hornets in the middle of his prime to pair with sophomore sensation Blake Griffin. “Lob City” was born.
For a franchise that had only made the playoffs seven times in their 41-year history prior, fans were ecstatic. For the first time ever, L.A.’s other team was viewed as title contenders. At the time, the Mavericks and Lakers were getting old, the Spurs had just been upset by 8-seeded Memphis, and the Thunder were a bunch of 21-year-olds. This was their time.
In six years of existence, the Lob City Clips never made a Conference Finals. While they were good enough to win it all in 2014 or 2015, they ended up blowing a series lead in the second round both times, manifesting in an epic collapse up 3-2 in Game 6 vs. Houston in 2015 (the last Josh Smith podium game). The group was never the same. After losing game 7 days later, they’d never get close again, as 2016 and 2017 were complete write-offs due to postseason injuries to Paul and Griffin.
Paul was dealt to Houston last summer. Griffin re-signed with the team for five-years only to be shipped out of town a few months later. Deandre Jordan just signed with the Mavs (for real this time). JJ Redick is in Philadelphia. Jamal Crawford doesn’t have a contract. The only remaining cog left from Lob City is Doc Rivers, who just traded his own son for a washed up Marcin Gortat. An NBA locker room is truly a revolving door of entities and makes very few exceptions.
Like most other years, Clipper Nation will enter the 2018-19 season without much hope. Lou Williams can score (his 2018 was one of the best offensive season anyone’s ever had off the bench; he’s truly a machine), Tobias Harris is well rounded, and they have a lot of okay guys who combine to make the team average. L.A. won’t make the playoffs and the only first round picks they control are from Memphis and Boston, both lottery protected.
While there have been rumblings of a possible Kawhi Leonard acquisition next year, the only records being chased in Clipper-land next season will likely be polygamy-related.
Clippers projected record: 37-45
Clippers chances of beating the Warriors in a playoff series: 1 percent